Web resource load blocking API

Abstract

In various embodiments described herein, a content extension and programming interface enable third-party content extensions to supply transformation and filtering actions and associated criteria to native web clients on a system. In one embodiment, the native web client loads data for a third-party content filtering, blocking, or transformation extension and conducts extension defined actions without requiring additional intermediation by the third-party content. In one embodiment, a third-party application downloaded to a mobile or handheld device can include an extension data object that provides actions and triggers that are loaded by a native web client of the system. The third-party application is not required to execute continuously and can exit or be terminated once the web client retrieves the extension data object.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE[0001]Content-control software may be used to control, restrict, or filter material delivered to or displayed on a web client, such as a hypertext transport protocol (e.g., HTTP) client or web browser. Content filtering may be performed for one of several reasons including restricting or limiting the web sites or web content that is available to a web client at a particular location, such as at a school or office environments. Some content-controlling filters operate as a proxy server that can cache or filter content before it is displayed on a user's browser. However, some content filters, particularly advertisement blocking filters, may execute locally on a data processing system as a separate process from the web browser or web client that is used to access online resources. Local execution may cause issues on some environments, particularly mobile or handheld devices with limited memory or computing resources, as the resource requirements for the sepa...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent describes a system and method for blocking the load of web content resources on a web client. The system receives a request to load a web content resource and compiles a data object that includes actions and triggers. The triggers are compared to attributes of the web content resource and the actions are applied, which may include blocking the load of the resource. The system can also include a machine implemented method and a data processing system. The technical effects of this patent are to provide a more efficient and flexible way to block the load of web content resources on a web client, which can help improve performance and security.

Problems solved by technology

Local execution may cause issues on some environments, particularly mobile or handheld devices with limited memory or computing resources, as the resource requirements for the separate content filter process may negatively impact performance.

In some situations, the resource requirements imposed by local execution of third-party web content filter plug-ins can hinder application performance even on laptop or desktop environments with a larger amount of memory and computing resources.

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